Watch How Facebook Changed the World: The Arab Spring

How Facebook Changed the World: The Arab Spring is a gripping documentary from BBC that explores one of the most significant and transformative periods in modern history. Hosted by renowned journalist Mishal Husain, the show delves into the pivotal role of social media in the Arab Spring, a series of uprisings and protests that swept across the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, toppling dictators and sparking a wave of political change.

The documentary opens with Husain's personal reflections on her own experiences as a journalist covering the Arab Spring, revealing the profound impact it had on her both personally and professionally. From there, the show provides a comprehensive analysis of the role that social media played in fueling the protests, highlighting its power as a tool for democratic change.

Through interviews with key players in the Arab Spring, including protesters, activists, and political pundits, the show outlines how platforms like Facebook and Twitter enabled citizen journalists to bypass traditional media outlets and share their stories and images with the world. The impact of social media in spreading news and images of protests across borders, rattling oppressive authoritarian regimes, and unifying people across ethnic, racial, and religious divides is clear.

In one segment of the documentary, Husain speaks with Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian activist and Google executive who set up the Facebook page "We Are All Khaled Said," in honor of a young man killed by police brutality. Ghonim explains how the page became a hub for anti-government protests, sharing news of police brutality and government oppression, and galvanizing a whole generation of Egyptians to take to the streets.

The impact of citizen journalism is also illustrated in Tunisia, where a fruit and vegetable seller, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in protest over police harassment. Bouazizi's death was captured on film and posted on social media, igniting a wave of protests across the country that eventually led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The documentary also touches on the negative side of social media, as the Taliban and other extremist groups have also used it to spread their messages of hate and violence, making life even more difficult for activists and protesters trying to get their voices heard.

Despite these challenges, the overwhelming message of the documentary is one of hope and transformation. The Arab Spring demonstrated the incredible potential of social media as a force for democracy, and inspired people around the world to stand up for their rights, against repression and injustice.

In conclusion, How Facebook Changed the World: The Arab Spring is a thought-provoking and educational documentary that takes viewers on a journey through a historic period of global transformation. With powerful interviews, rare footage, and insightful commentary, it explains the role that social media played in the Arab Spring, revealing its potential as a tool for democratic change and inspiring future generations of activists and protesters around the world.